The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-05
THE REAL CODE.
German University Duels Described
by One who had been in az of Them.

be IN that favorite gathering place at the
time. He was tall, hroad-shouldered
young man of from 20 to % years of age,
with an erect bearing that unmistably in
dictated military training and style of
dress that betrayed a foreign origin. But
the popularity that attracted attention was
that his face was scanned and furrowed by
multiplicity OF scars running in all direc-
LONESOME mere lines, others deep gashes,
and others unsightly ridges of flesh. A.
GLOBE Democrat reporter engaged him in
incidental conversation as he watched a
game Of billiards between two local experts,
and after exchanging a few common-places
ventured to question him concerning the
origin of the scars that caused his otherwise
handsome face to resemble railroad may
OF thickly settled portion of the country.
Il find that my face has attracted more
attention since | CAME to this country than
ever supposed it would was the reply
land If had realized the amount of Curl
oslty my appearance would excite doubt If
l would have had the courage to cross the
oceon. But it cannot be helped now, and |
have no objection to explaining the cause of
the cuts and scars you see on my face To
begin with, my name is Bernhard Nah
rnacher, and | am native of the city of
Halle, i'll Prussia At 10 years of age | en-
tered the University of Leipzig. and at once
Joined the Corps Thulingia. If German
student desires to have any standing among
his fellows, be must belong to one of the
fighting corps. In their ranks are to be
found nearly all the young men of good fam
lily, and those not members of one or another
of these organizations are classed together
under the title of savages, and are regarded
as beneath contempt, and considered even
lower than the despised Philister, or trades
man of the town. Not caring to occupy this
position, joined a corps, and the scars
bear ON my face are the result of twenty
seven duels in which | was engaged during
my university career"
I'm order to give you an idea of German
'mensur, or duelling meeting, may as well
describe what occurred the first time was
an active participant One Saturday after
noon in the autumn of 1885, in company
with number of my corps brothers, went
to a small village in the neighborhood of
Leipzig for the purpose of fighting my first
duel. On entering the tavern that was
chosen as the scene of combat | found the
large room thronged with some 200 students,
representing the various corps of the univer-
sity. The young men, distinguished by the
colors of their caps and the ribbons they
wore across their breasts, were moving about
and converSing with each other on terms of
the grestest cordially Here was a blue
capped Susatian talking with a red-capped
Thuringian, there the green cap of a West
phalian was seen among a group of Saxons
while the yellow and white caps occasion
ally noticed proved that few of the Suab-
ians from Heidelberg and the Hanoverians
from Goettingen were among the crowd
There were to be number of duel5 during
the day, and as l entered the first combat
ants were being prepared for the fray. This
is an operation that consumes a good deal of
time
IAN attendant first slipped over the right
arm of the duellist silk sleeve, thickly
wadded with cotton. Over this, from the
wrist to the shoulder, strips of silk were
wound, until the arm assumed the proper
lions of a robust leg A heavy fencing
glove was next assumed, thick leather pad
fastened over the heart, and a similar one
beneath the armpit. A silk cravat, stiffened
with the blood. that had flowed from the
wounds of previous combatants, was then
wound around the neck, and the eyes were
protected by pair of heavy goggles The
'pauckhosen,' or fighting trousers, were next
donned these being made of. leather, heavily
wadded, extending from the chest to the
knee and back, with the clotted blood of
hundreds OF fights The swords, or 'schlae-
gers were then handed to the antagonists,
heavy blades about three feet in length, with
blunt point, and for some eighteen inches
along each edge as keen as razor. The
bandaged arm and the heavy sword were
supported by friends, as to sustain weight
would fatigue the duellists, who in few
moments would need all their strength for
attack and defense. The point of attack is
the head and face, all other parts of tho
body being protected by the armor have
described.
1.-The opponents advanced to the centre of
the room, each with his second at his left
side. The seconds were armed with basket
hilted swords, with which they struck up the
blades of their principals upon the cry of
Haiti The students crowded around in
great excitement, as the antagonists were
both famous swordsmen, whose comparative
skill had long been a theme of warm discus
sion throughout the university. Klarus,
senior, or president of the Westphalians
was reputed to be the best swordsmen in
Leipzig, and had been victorious in a score
of encounters. He was a tall, graceful fell
low, noted for the great rapidity of his
blows, aud his wonderful quickness of eye
while Heinemann, senior of Saxons, was less
known in Leipzig, but had come from Halle
with a great reputation, and had been con-
sidered almost invincible in that fighting
university. Heineman was some four inches
shorter than KlarIs, but of immense breadth
of chest and strength of limb, and was
known to possess a wrist of almost unpar-
alleled strength and suppleness. The en-
counter had been looked forward to with
great interest, as decisive of who was en-
titled to pre-eminence among the Leipzig
swordsmen.
THE antagonists faced each other, the
umpire gave the word and in second the
keen blades were flashing through the air,
falling heavily on the bandaged arms that
protected the head, changing against the
iron guards of the swords. or meeting in
midair with loud clash. The blows came
like lightning, but so quick was the parry on
was touched. At length the Westphalian's
second cried HAITI the blades were struck
up, and the arms were caught and supported
by the attendants. a stream of blood was
seen trickling through the Saxon's hair,
which gradually spread over his face and
dyed his shirt bright crimson. Klarus, by
one of his famous strokes, in turn had
reached completely over his opponents
guard and cut cash some two inches long
in his scalp. The doctor glanced at it, pro-
nounced it not serious, the umpire gave the
word, and again the fight went on. AS the
combatants grew heated they became more
eager to strike and less careful to guard
and soon the face of each was masked by the
flowing blood. which clotted about their
neck-cioths and stiffened on their shirts
Both had many wounds, but the quickness
of the Wcstphalian had proved too much for
the Saxon, who was bleeding in dozen
places, and soon would be obliged to give IN
the contest unless by some great effort he
could regain the ground he had lost. His
pride was aroused to the highest pitch, his
eyes fairly blazed through the heavy spec